As soon as December 4th hit, the transfer portal was flooded. Maybe it's because of the upcoming realignment and CFP expansion in 2024 or perhaps there's reason's we'll never know. But, some of the top names in college football shockingly threw their names into the mix.
Let's break down a handful of those impactful athletes to see which programs the transfer portal has been benefitting and which are getting the short end of the stick.
CFP Top 25 and how many players they have in the transfer portal:
Rank | Team | Players in Portal
1 Michigan: 0
2 Washington: 1
3 Texas: 0
4 Alabama: 0
5 Florida State: 1
6 Georgia: 4
7 Ohio State: 11
8 Oregon: 3
9 Mizzou: 7
10 Penn State: 2
11 Ole Miss: 4
12 Oklahoma: 7
13…— College Football Report (@CFBRep) December 4, 2023
which players have entered the transfer portal?
One trip around the clock had a total of 532 scholarship players sitting in the NCAAF transfer portal. A few quarterbacks wasted no time dropping their names.
Active transfers as of December 6th
Only Ward is transferring from a group that didn't finish the season with a winning record, as Washington State fell flat going 5-7 overall. Yet, names like Will Howard, come as a surprise. The 6-foot-5 senior has one year of eligibility left. He capped off the season with a noble 2,643 yards and 24 touchdowns.
DJ Uiagalelei is familiar with the portal after transferring from Clemson a couple of seasons ago. He had a strong comeback year in the Pac-12, leading his team to for an AP Poll high of No. 10, the Beavers highest ranking since 2012. But, the Pac-12 has fallen apart and while Oregon State fights as one of two to keep it alive, Uiagalelei will probably like to find some sturdy foundation.
Whoever snags Kyle McCord is lucky. Somehow an 11-1 record just isn't good enough in Ohio State, where McCord was reminded of not filling CJ Stroud's shoes. His 3,170 yards and 161.3 passing efficiency rating, the second highest in the Big Ten, is more than enough to land him somewhere promising.
which teams are suffering from the transfer portal?
There is cases where the programs respectfully show its athletes the door, but transferring is completely up to the players discretion. So, that leaves programs scrambling to find replacements or work on their recruiting skills.
oregon state's muddy future
As if the Pac-12 realignment wasn't enough, now the Beavers are being pushed down-shore with players disappearing.
Back-up QB Aidan Chiles, a four-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, followed suit and joined Uiagalelei in the portal. CB Jermod McCoy also announced his departure and was the only true freshman to appear in every outing for Oregon State. So much for development.
The Beavers had one of their best seasons in over a decade, with eight wins through the first 10 weeks and defeating a ranked Utah and UCLA pack. But, now the program is evaporating. A scheduling agreement with the Mountain West and a shortage of promising players coming to the field leaves Oregon State's future success up in the air.
the bright side of the transfer portal
There is a silver-lining here. While Oregon State is scurrying to regroup and Ohio State is shooting itself in the foot by demanding perfection, some use the portal to its full advantage.
deion sanders calling a crowd over to colorado
We saw the media frenzy Sanders caused for Colorado early this season. The Buffs meeting with Oregon was the second-most watched game of the season with over 10 million viewers.
The hot start was cut short after Week 3, though Colorado still surpassed its 3.5 win total. However, Sanders still put the program, that finished 1-11 the season before, on the map.
Part of the success was the massive overhaul that had 46 scholarship players head to the Boulders from the portal. Eight who played for Sanders at Jackson State tagged along, including CB Travis Hunter and QB Shedeur Sanders.
Coach Prime continues to use the portal as advertisement to his rebuild, now calling older quarterbacks to the Buffaloes herd to back-up his son next season.